a july wedding
by Quecksilver Eyes
Summary: They marry in July, when their school robes are still warm, when the ink on their diplomas has not yet dried. Lily's dress is held up by blue fibulas, Marlene's magic sparking from them. 'It's a muggle custom', she says, and fixes Sirius' tie. She smiles and slips one of her earrings into his hands. 'You need something old.' She kisses James' hand, baring his family ring.


They marry in July, when their school robes are still warm, when the ink on their diplomas has not yet dried. Lily's dress is held up by blue fibulas, Marlene's magic sparking from them. 'It's a muggle custom', she says, and fixes Sirius' tie. She smiles and slips one of her earrings into his hands. 'You need something old.' She kisses James' hand, baring his family ring. 'Something new.' She gestures to their suits, in dark hues of blue. Sirius spent as much money as he could on them. Muggle suits, tailored to fit just them. 'Something borrowed.' Sirius swaps the earring he's wearing, the silver one James gave him for his sixteenth birthday, when his ears were freshly pierced, and he couldn't sleep on his left side, for the shimmering pearl earring Lily gave him. It grazes the fabric of his suit at his shoulder, and he smiles. 'Something blue.' Lily re drapes the folds of her dress, and James kisses her neck. She laughs.

'I thought the bride and groom shouldn't see each other before the wedding.' Sirius lays his hand warm on the small of Lily's back and she arches into his touch. 'I'm not sitting around waiting for this ordeal to start while the two of you have a dressing room to yourselves.' James grins against her skin. 'Jealous, Evans?' Sirius' laughter sounds like a dog's bark and Lily huffs out a breath. 'Of you two buffoons?' Sirius slips his earring into her hand, and kisses her palm. 'You're getting married to the buffoons', he says and Lily laughs.

They marry in July, with Lily's parents' permission slip in James' pocket, because in her parents' world, Lily isn't of age yet. I don't want to wait, she says. I don't want to wait, I want as much time with you as I can. She doesn't say that she's afraid they can't afford to wait. She doesn't say that her parents might not be able to attend if they wait. She doesn't say that there's a war brewing. She doesn't need to.

They marry in July, and Sirius spends the days leading up to it grimly blowing up howlers screaming about mudbloods and blood traitors and filthy muggles. Lily uses the scraps to light fire after fire, and they burn every letter, burn the robes adorned with the Black emblem and sell the jewellery. 'We'll be Potters', Lily says. 'You won't have to wear those ever again.' Sirius hears his mother scream, about purity and nobility and filthy traitorous Andromeda and her kind kind husband with the softness of a Hufflepuff's mercy, and Lily's fingers work through his curls, and he is safe, somewhat. Later, James slams the door closed and rages about stupid purebloods, wipes his bloody lips with his sleeve. 'July', Lily says, then. 'We're marrying in July.'

They marry in July, and the grooms disappear. Instead, a big black dog jumps around the bride, barking happily, and she smiles and ruffles its fur. And there's a stag in the doorway, head held high, antlers grazing the ceiling. The bride smiles, hair loose and open from playing with the dog, and she pets it just above the nostrils.

They marry in July, hands intertwined, a ceremony that is a mish mash of muggle and magical ceremonies and Lily laughs and says she's happy that she's not religious when she makes her speech, and Remus snorts. James kisses her knuckles, Sirius' hand steady on his thigh.

They marry in July and Sirius lays down his name. He will wear it again, 15 years later, will look at his child and name himself godfather because he cannot bear the truth. He wears Lily's earring, and James' name, and their love, and he is happy.

They marry in July, and Lily laughs about a dog and a stag prancing about in the middle of the dance floor. She will laugh for three more years with her loves, and her love, her devotion will save her child, and protect him.

They marry in July, and James' hands curl around their waists, his lips on their necks, whispering adoration into their ears. He will never lose his playfulness, until the day he dies, will never stop loving them.

'He was their friend', Harry Potter will scream, in 15 years, 'and he betrayed them!'

It will take another 20 years for him to find the marriage certificate that proudly proclaims the union of Lily Evans, Sirius Black and James Potter.


End file.
